Improvement in guides for sewing-machines



WILLIAM H. HALLADAY.

Improvement in Guides for Sewing Nllchines.

120,966, i vPatented Nov. 14,187L

UNITED; STATES- radeon WILLIAM H. HALLADAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND DANIEL A. KIMBARK, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUIDES FOR SEWING-MACHINES..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,966, dated November 14, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HALLADAY, of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Seam -Guide for Sewing-Machines, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingv drawing, which, together with the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention taken from the side next to the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central vertical section of the same with the supporting-bar removed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the guide-foot detached, and Fig. 4 a plan view of the pressure-plate for smoothing and adjusting the cloth as it passes along under the device.

Like letters of reference made use of in the several gures indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an attachment or device to be attached to an ordinary sewing-machine for the purpose of guiding the seam or fold of the cloth accurately to the needle and for smoothing and holding the fold properly in shape. It is chiefly useful in edge -stitching, where it is desired to have the line of stitches close to the edge of the fabric or fold thereof. It consists in the construction and combination of the several parts of the device, substantially asl and for the purpose hereinafter specifled.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity, making use in so doing of the aforesaid drawing.

A is the guide-plate, connected to the vertical rod B, which passes up through a hollow sleeve, O, and is surrounded by a spiral spring, D, contained within the sleeve, the force of which spring is exerted to press down the rod and attached plate upon the fabric to be stitched. The sleeve C is supported by a horizontal bar, E, which is slotted to receive the end of the supporting or pendent bar F, provided with a set-screw, f, between which and a shoulder, g, upon said bar the bar E is clamped. The pendent bar F may be attached to any appropriate part of the machine; in the present instance, it is of a form to conveniently be attached by a screw to the rigid arm which supports the needle and its attachments. By means of the long slot in the bar E the guide maybe adjusted in any position desired. To the top of the rod B is secured a knob or button, b, having a iiange or base larger than the rod. This flange is notched at one or more points, and a short rod, d, rises from the surface of the barimmediatelyundertheflange,passing through the notch when the guide is down upon the cloth; but when the guide is raised from the cloth it may be retained by turning the knob until the rod d will come under said ange, as will clearly Vappear by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing. G

is a iiat horizontal plate, slightlyconvex or rounded at its under edges, for-the easy passage of the fabric, and extending each side of the vertical plate A, being connected thereto in a peculiar manner, as follows: At the center of the plate G is cut a transverse slot, i, extending nearly across it, but leaving a slight connection at each side; two vertical slots, j j, are cut inthe plate A, leaving a space between them of a width equal to the length of the slot z'. The plate Gr is placed upon the plate A so that it may move freely up and down thereon, as shown in the drawing, and a spring, H, applied to keep the former plate down with a slight pressure. It will thus be seen that the vertical guide-plate is always bclow the horizontal pressure-plate. This device is applied to the sewing-machine so that the vertical guide-plate will rest upon the cloth to bel sewed at a point a little in advance of the needle, and so that the lower edge of said guide-plate will be in a line parallel to the line of motion of the cloth.

The fabric to be stitched is brought under said guide and pressure-plate to the needle, the edge of the fold or seam aligned to and against the guide-plate. The feed of the machine draws forward the cloth with a regular motion, and the pressure-plate G offers just sufficient resistance to keep the cloth between it and the needle taut and even, at the same time smoothing down the old.

By the use of this device a seam may be run along the extreme edge of a fold without any attention on the part of the operator to the matter of guidance, so that the hands are left entirely plate A, rod B, sleeve C, spring D, slotted ber free, andthe fabric lezwes the needle in a smooth E, bar F, pressure-plate G, and spring H, suband even seem, without being drawn or puckstentially es specified and shown.

ered. WM. H. HALLADAY.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I e1aim,and de- Witnesses:

sire to secure by Letters Patent, is- J. W. MUNDAY,

The combination and arrangement of the guide- P. ROBERTS. (134) 

